Daniel w



(No Model.)

D. W. AULD.

. y WINDMILL. No. 556,896. Patented Mar. 17, 1896.

ANDREW B GRAHAM*FNDTD-LITMDvwAsHINGroN C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEvDANIEL WV. AULD, OF SIBLEY, MISSOURI.

WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,396, dated March17, 1896.

Serial No. 565,097. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, DANIEL IV. AULD, of Sibley, Jackson county, Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vindmills, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to windmills, and my object is to produce anapparatus of this character which will develop a power considerably inexcess of that developed by the machines of this class in common use,and which shall combine in a high degree simplicity, strength,durability and inexpensiveness of construction.

A further object of the invention is to produce a windmill which is ofsuch construction that its sails or wind-arms may be entirely foldedwhen it is not desired to use the ma* chine.

lVith these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel andpeculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, ashereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 is a top plan Viewof a windmill constructed in accordance with my invention, the radialinclined brace-bars being omitted to more clearly disclose theconstruction. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same. Fig. 3is a cross-section, enlarged, taken through the hollow shaft or rod justabove the sliding weight. Fig. 4 represents in perspective a part of thewheel-framework to show clearly my improved arrangement of thebrace-rods.

In the said drawings, 1 designates the vertical shaft or rod of thedevice. This shaft is hollow and extends from the top nearly to thebottom of the tower, in which it is journaled near its lower and upperends, as shown at 2 3, respectively. The-form of the tower and of thebearings for said shaft are immaterial. The frame of the wind-wheelcomprises the circular portion 4, which is mounted rigidly upon theupper end of the shaft, and the rotating arms 5, of which there may beany desired or required number. Said arms at their outer ends are bentto form vertical and upwardly-projecting rods 6, or said rods may besecured to the arms 5 in any suitable manner. Said rods 6 are circularin crosssection. The arms 5 at their outer ends are connected by rigidbraces 7, and the upper ends of said rods 6 are connected by rigidinclined braces S with the lower ends of the said rods 6 to the rear. Itwill be understood by this that the higher ends of thel inclined bracesS represent the direction in which the wind-wheel is to be rotated. Theupper ends of the rods 6 and of the rods 8 are also braced from inwardor outward movement by means of the radial braces 9. Said braces aresecured rigidly at their inner ends to an annular flange, to behereinafter described, and are superposed relative to the arms 5 andinclined downwardly and inwardly.

10 designates sleeves which are rotatably mounted upon the rod 6, and 11designates drums or pulleys which are mounted rigidly upon the lowerends of the said sleeves.

12 designates a series of guide pulleys, which are rotatably mounted ina slightly higher plane than the pulleys or drums 11 upon the pins 13,which project vertically upward from the arms 5 near their outer ends.

14 designates the annular flange hereinbefore referred to, which isarranged concentrically with respect to the hollow shaft and projectsvertically upward from the collar or hub 4 of the wheel-frame, and 15designates guide passages or holes which are formed in the verticalplanes of the arms 5 through said flange. Projecting also upwardly fromsaid collar or hub and concentrically within the flange 14 is thecircular series of lugs 16, and j ournaled to rotate in vertical planesbetween said lugs and with their peripheries in the plane of thepassages or holes 15 of the iiange 14 are the guide-pulleys 17 ,overwhich extend, and through said passages or holes, the cords or cables1S, having their outer ends secured in any suitable manner to the winding drums or pulleys 11. The opposite ends of said cords or cablesconverge downwardly fora suitable distance within the hollow shaft andare preferably united as shown at 19, and continue downwardly .in theform of va single strand 2O beyond the lower end of the shaft.Superposed relative to the guide-pulleys 17 is a similar series ofguide-pulleys 21, and

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extending over said guide-pulleys 2l are the cords or cables 22. Theouter ends of said cords or cables are connected, as at 23, to the outerends of the triangular and fiexible sails `or arms 2i, of canvas, duck,or any other suitable material, which are secured rigidly attheiropposite ends to or upon the sleeves l0 in any suitable or preferredmanner. The opposite ends of the cords or cables 22 con verge downwardlywithin the shaft l and within the converging ends of the cords or cablespreviously described for a distance slightly exceeding at least thelength of the flexible sails. They are mounted at their points ofcontact, as at 25, and continue downward for a suitable distance in theform of a single strand 2G, which is connected permanently to thecross-rod or bail 27 of the cylindrical sliding weight 28. This slidingweight is sufficiently heavy to open or unwind the sails whenunresisted, and it is also adapted to yield slightly to the pressure ofthe wind upon said sails in order that they may dip to assume their mosteffective position to receive the action of the wind. This weight alsois provided with longitudinal grooves 30, engaging ribs 3l, formedexternally upon the shaft, that it may rotate with said shaftand at thesame time perform the function of a iiy or balance wheel. rlhe bail 27extends through vertical slots 29 of said shaft. Any of the ordinarymethods of belting or gearing may be employed to transmit motion fromthe shaft l to the other machinery. In the present instance I have showna pair of intermeshing bevel-gears 32 and 33, the former secured uponsaid shaft and the latter upon the shaft 34.

Supposing the wind to be traveling in the direction indicated by thearrows, Fig. l, it is apparent that the flexible sails, if open, assumeapproximately the positions illustrated in Fig. l, and it will benoticed by particular reference to said figure that the propelling powerof the wind is applied upon said wheel for about two-thirds of itsentire surface, and that after tw0-thirds of a revolution by each sailhas been made it practically offers but little resistance to the windfor the remaining one-third of its travel, as illustrated by theposition of the sail at the upper left-hand corner of Fig. l. Fach sailtravels for half a revolution within the brace-bars '7 and 8 and for theremainder of its revolution outside of said brace-bars, it swinging fromone position to the other in an instant when it reaches a longitudinalposition parallel with the wind, as will be readily understood.

Should a storm or heavy wind arise which might injure the wheel, thestrand 20, which dangles within convenient reach of a person upon theground, is grasped and lpulled downwardly, and this, as is obvious,causes the rotation of the winding-drums 1l and the consequent windingof the flexible sails tightly upon the sleeves l0. The sails are woundtightly, owing to the resistance of t-he Weight 28, which is caused toslide upwardly upon the shaft l. To secure said sails in theirinoperative position,the strand 2O may be wound upon the hook 35,secured to the shaft, as shown, or in any other suitable manner, or maybe secured to the tower-framework, as most convenient.

I'Vhen it is desired again to put the machine in operation, the strand2O is released or unfastened, and the weight by gravity moves downwardto its original position and spreads the sails.

fhile I do not wish to confine myself to the triangular form of sailillustrated, I deem such form to be best adapted to the work in hand,owing to the fact that it can be properly tensioned by a single rope orcable, and also, and principally, because most of the pressure or forceexerted by the wind is upon thc outer ends of the sails, where they aredeepest or widest. By this form, therefore, greater leverage is probablyobtained and one sail does not blanket another, owing to the fact thatthe wind can pass over the pointed or free ends of one sail and impingeforcibly upon the one next in advance, as will be readily understood.

lFrom the above description it will be apparent thatIhave produced awindmill which is positive and reliable in operation and which will need butlittle attention and repair by reason of its extremely simple andsubstantial construction.

It is to be understood, of course, that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction of the wheel or to the arrangement of the bracesshown. It is also to be understood that changes in the form orarrangement of the cords or cables may be resorted to without departingfrom the essential spirit and scope of my invention, and that thesubstitution of mechanical equivalents, such as a spring for the weightor the placing of the weight in order to wind the sails insteadof openthem, will not be a departure from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A windmill, comprising a vertical rotatable shaft, a wheel-framemounted rigidly thereon, rotatable sleeves carried by said frame,flexible sails secured to said sleeves, an adjustable weight, fiexibleconnections Y suitably guided between said weights and said sails, andmeans for rotating said sleeves, in opposition to said weight.

2. A windmill, comprising a vertical rotatable shaft, a wheel-framemounted rigidly thereon, -vertical rotatable sleeves carried thereby andprovided with winding-drums, flexible sails secured to saidwinding-drums, a sliding weight, flexible connections suitably guidedbetween said weight and said sails, and flexible connections suitablyguided attached at their upper ends to said winding-drums, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

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3. A windmill, comprising a vertical rotatable shaft, a weight upon saidshaft which has sliding but not independent rotatable movement upon saidshaft, a wheel-frame mounted rigidly upon said shaft, verticalrotatable,

sleeves carried thereby and provided with winding-drums, flexible sailsattached to said sleeves, iieXible connections suitably guided betweensaid weight and said sails, and cords or cables suitably guided andattached to said winding-drums, and a suitable fastening device to whichthe lower end of said cords or cables may be secured.

4L. A windmill, comprising a suitable framework, a vertical hollow shaftjournaled therein and provided with longitudinal slots and externalribs, a wheel-frame mounted rigidly upon the upper end of said shaft andprovided with the hub portion having series of superposed guide-pulleysand an apertured flange surrounding the same, vertical cylindrical rodserected vertically at the outer ends of the arms of said frames andsuitably braced, sleeves mounted rotatably upon said rods and providedwith winding-drums, a series of guide-rollers located inward of thevertical rods, iiexible sails secured to said sleeves, a weightembracing the hollow shaft and provided With longitudinal groovesembracing the ribs of said shaft, and with a transverse rod or bailwhich extends through the slots of the shaft, a series of cords orcables suitably guided around the last-mentioned series of rollers andover the upper series of guide-rollers first mentioned, and connectingthe free ends of the sails with the bail of the sliding weight, a secondseries of cords or cables which are attached at their outer ends to saiddrums and are guided throughand over the apertured flange and the lowerseries of guide-rollers first named, and a fastening device, to whichthe lower ends of said series of cords or cables may be attached,substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL XV. AULD. Witnesses M. R. REMLEY, G. Y. THORPE.

